Luther Burbank Experiment Farm

Between 1885 and 1926, famed botanist & horticulturist Luther Burbank commuted from Santa Rosa to his 18-acre farm in Sebastopol by bike, a 17-mile round trip. This farm was where he produced most of his more than 800 experiments in plant breeding and genetics, including fruit and nut trees, flowers, grains, and vegetables.

More than three acres of the farm, and its original cottage, have been protected and maintained by the Western Sonoma County Historical Society since 1975. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, this farm was instrumental to Burbank’s furthering the collective knowledge of plant hybridization and agricultural science.

Many of Burbank’s live specimens are able to be viewed at the farm, including the Royal Walnut he planted in 1885, and a single apple tree that can produce 25 different varieties. Also present are experiments like the Shasta Daisy, the Burbank Potato (today the world’s most popular potato for food processing), plumcots, thornless blackberries, and spineless cactuses. 

Each Wednesday, volunteers gather from 9 am to 12 pm to maintain trails and plants, host a plant sale, and lead tours. Admission to the farm is free, and there are free trail maps available for self-guided tours at the barn and cottage. The park is open from dawn to dusk every day.